1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bearing assembly of a hub of a bicycle, and more particularly to a bearing assembly whose parts are combined rigidly without detachment during transportation.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
In general, a bicycle includes a hub, a shaft extending through the hub, and two bearing sets each mounted between one of the two ends of the shaft and one of the two ends of the hub. Thus, the shaft is stationary, and the hub is rotated with the bicycle.
A conventional bearing set of a hub of a bicycle in accordance with the prior art shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a bowl 11, a ball bearing 12 received in the bowl 11 and having a plurality of balls 14, and a bolt head 13 mounted on the bowl 11 and having a periphery formed with a shelter ring 15 covering the bowl 11. Thus, the shaft is extended in the bearing set, and the inner wall of the bolt head 13 is formed with a thread engaged with the thread formed on each of the two ends of the shaft.
However, the bowl 11, the ball bearing 12, and the bolt head 13 of the conventional bearing set are not rigidly combined with each other, so that they are easily separated from each other during the process of movement and transportation, and so that they have to reassembled, thereby consuming the working time for assembling the parts of the bearing assembly. In addition, both of the shelter ring 15 and the bowl 11 are made of metallic material, so that the sealing effect between the shelter ring 15 and the bowl 11 is not very tight, thereby decreasing the waterproof and dustproof effects of the conventional bearing set.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional bearing set of a hub of a bicycle.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a bearing assembly of a hub of a bicycle comprising:
a receiving ring having an inner wall formed with an inclined face arranged in a gradually tapered manner, a catch flange formed in the inner wall of the receiving ring;
a roller bearing mounted in the receiving ring and including an annular body arranged in a gradually tapered manner, and a plurality of rollers mounted in the annular body and arranged in a gradually tapered manner;
a cover ring secured in the receiving ring and including a rigid plate, and a rubber layer coated on an outer periphery of the rigid plate, the outer periphery of the rigid plate formed with a locking flange extended downward and rested on the catch flange of the receiving ring; and
a hollow positioning bolt head mounted in the receiving ring and including a lower tapered urging portion, and an upper positioning portion, the lower tapered urging portion urged on the plurality of rollers of the roller bearing to push the plurality of rollers to press the inclined face of the receiving ring, such that the receiving ring, the roller bearing, and the positioning bolt head are combined with each other in a press-fit manner without detachment.
The upper positioning portion of the positioning bolt head defines at least one positioning recess. A locking member is attached to the upper positioning portion of the positioning bolt head and is formed with at least one locking lug secured in the at least one positioning recess. A hub is rotatably mounted on a shaft and has two ends each mounted with a locking member and a bearing assembly that includes the receiving ring, the roller bearing, the cover ring, and the positioning bolt head. The shaft has two ends each in turn extended through the bearing assembly and the locking member and each engaged with a nut.
The lower tapered urging portion of the positioning bolt head has a bottom face formed with a protruding block protruding outward from the bottom of the receiving ring. An annular groove is defined in the outer periphery of the protruding block. A snapping member is secured in the annular groove and is rested on the bottom of the receiving ring.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.